Regions
Northwest Inland.
Assess local conditions carefully and use extra caution on wind affected slopes. Due to the lack of snowpack and avalanche data, we are currently unable to issue danger ratings for this region.
Weather Forecast
A cool arctic air mass will dominate the weather pattern over the next few days bringing cooler and much dryer conditions. Coastal areas may see some flurries and cloudy skies tonight and early tomorrow before the arctic front locks in on Tuesday. Skies will mostly be a mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures will drop to -20 accompanied by light NE winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days, but observations are currently very limited in this region. Watch for the development of wind slabs on all aspects as the current winds are switching from the SW and blowing from the NW. Slopes and terrain features could become reverse loaded and catch you by surprise. Cracking, whumphing and natural avalanche activity are indicators of unstable snow.
Snowpack Summary
New snow combined with strong winds from the southwest have likely formed touchy wind slabs on lee features. Forecast switching winds from the northeast may reverse load slopes and catch you by surprise. A layer of surface hoar was reported around Hudson Bay Mountain last week, which now sits beneath 40-50 cm of settling snow. A thick rain crust that formed in early November is now buried 50-60 cm deep, and recent snowpack tests produced sudden results on facets (sugary snow) above this crust. Early season snowpack observations are still very limited in the region, but reports suggest the average snowpack depth is 50-90 cm at treeline and 120 cm or greater in the alpine.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.